Rotary toothbrush



June 7, 1927. B, V. STOLL ROTARY TooTHBRsH Filed Aug. 6, 1926 Patented June 7, 1927.

UNITED: STATES I 1,631,891l PATENT OFFICE. t

' BERRY v. sToLL, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY. i

ROTARY moorHBnU-SH.

Application yled August 6, 1926. Serial No. 127,653.

This invention relates to tooth brushes and has as its generalobject to provide a tooth brush which, by reason of its construction and mode of operation, will more eifectually brush and cleanse the teeth than the ordinary brush. It is a well known fact that while dentists urge their patients to not only employ the ordinary tooth brush by brushing ackwardly and forwardly across the .teeth but also with an up and down motion, the average person will neglect to use the brush in the latter manner, with the result that food accumulations. are not completely removed from. between the teeth and decayv shortly ensues. Furthermore, in the use of the ordinary tooth brush the incisor and canine teeth are subject to a more thorough.

brushing than the molars, where the brush Yis merely given a back and vforth motion. Therefore, the invention contemplates the provision of a tooth brush so constructed and adapted to be soV operatedthat the teeth willv be brushed in they proper manner so as to ei'ectually remove all food accumulations from between the teeth and from the surfaces thereof and permitof unifornrtreatment of all of .the teeth without subjecting the incisor and canine teeth to excessive brushing which tends to' wear away the enamel and render the teeth sensitive.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tooth brush which maybe more conveniently manipulated than the ordinary brush and with less energy and which will` insure of a brushing of the teeth in a vertical direction rather than crosswise, thus effecting a more thorough cleaning of the teeth and minimum wearing away ofthe enamel.

` In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tooth f brush embodyingthe invention, the view/ illustrating the manner in which the brush is to be held and operated. v

Figure 2 is a detail vertical sectional view l vtaken substantially on the line 2- 2 of F igure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Y i Y Y Figure 3 .is ka horizontal ysectional view taken substantially on theline -lofFig ure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. n

Figure 4 is a perspective view ofthe brush proper separated from the operating mechanism.

The device fixed section indicated in general bythe r1-7 of the brush proper.

comprises a `handle including a numeral 1 and amovable section or member indicated in general by the numeral 2. The member 1, as also the member 2, is formed of sheet metal and comprises a flat-sided substantially oblong rectangular body 3 provided at one end with an opening 4 of a contour to accommodate the first joint of kthe thumb of the user. The body 3 is provided with longitudinal flanges 5 atits opposite edges andthese flanges are spaced from one face of the body and accommodate the lateral edges ofthe body 6 of the member 2 of the handle so that the member 2 is slidable upon and with relation to the said member 1, the member 2 being provided at its outer end with an opening 7 of a sizev and lcontour to accommodate the'iirst joint ofthe rforelinger of the. hand of the user. A slot S formed transversely in the bodyl 3 of the member 1, and a substantially semi-cylindrical .barrel 9 is secured to or integrally united at its open side with the said body 3 and covers the said slot. For a purpose to be presently explained, the barrel 9 is provided at one endg-with an extension 10 whichis uniformly concave in cross section through out its length and which constitutes a guard for the brush proper. y'

Bearing sleeves 11`and 12 are mounted upon the body 3 rit-opposite sides of the slot 8 therein and within the opposite ends of the housing 9, and ashaft 13 is journaled in the said sleeves and'hals fixed upon it, between the relatively adjacent ends of the sleeves, a pinion 14 which engages at its peripheral portion through the slot 8. As the f pinion is fixed upon thesa'id shaft or spindle, longitudinal displacement of the spindle in the bearing sleeves is prevented. At its end which is presented toward the extension 10 of the barrel `9, the spindle 13 is providedv therefore, thefextension constitutes a guardl to preventy they bristles coming in 'contact With the cheeks When the brush is inserted into the mouth, particularly in brushing the molars, it being understood that rotary motion of the spindle 13 Will result in corresponding movement of the brush as a Whole so as to effect a thorough cleansing' of the teeth. p Y

Rotary motion of the spindle 13 is effected through reciprocation of the member 2 with respect to the member 1 and in order that this may be accomplished, the body 6 of the member 2 is formed With a longitudinal slot 2O the side Walls of which register With the brush, Which shank is of polygonal cross section, having been fitted into the socket .16, and the member 2 is then reciprocated with respect to the member 1, the brush 19 being held against the teeth and moved back and forth While being alternately rotated in opposite directions through the reciprocation of the rack 21 past the pinion 14. It will be evident, therefore, that due to the character of the brush head and the motion imparted thereto, the bristles will Work between the teethand etfectually remove all food accumulations. Consequently, the brush is adapted to act upon the teeth in the most effective manner. 1t Will be understood that `theextension 10 constitutes a guard to prevent the head 15 of thel spindle 13 and like- Wise the bristles 19 of the brush coming in contact with the lips or cheeks when the brush is inserted into the mouth and While the brush head is being rotated. Likewise,

this guard serves to prevent the dentifrice which is applied to the brush head being thrown ed in a forward direction through centrifugal force.

1t Will be evident from the foregoing del scription that the brush head may be readily removed or separated from the supportying and actuating means therefor and another head substituted therefor, and, therefore, brush heads having bristles of different degrees of stiffness may be substituted one for another and When one brush head has become so` Worn as to be unfitl for use it may be discarded and another head readily sub-i stituted. f

l/Vhile the brush is designed primarily as a tooth brush, it Will be evident that it may .y Vbe made in larger sizes and put to other uses.

It Will be evident from thepforegoing description of the invention that the device, With the exception of the brush proper, can

be, in its entirety, stamped from sheet metal,V thus enabling the same to be produced ata 10W cost.

`Having. thus described the- What I claim is:

A1. A brush comprising a handle having invention,

companion sections formed of flat sheetk metal and having their inner end portions overlapped and their outerl ends provided With finger-engaging portions, means slidably connecting said sections, one section'bein-g formed With a longitudinally extending Slot and the other With an opening communicatling with ythe slot, a rack carried bythe first section and having its teeth extending across said slot, a shaft rotatably connected with the second section and extending across the opening, a pinion carried by said shaft and projecting through the opening and engaged with said rack whereby rotary motion/Will be imparted to said shaft when the handle sections are moved, a brush head carried by said shaft, and a guard for said pinion carried by the second handle section vand having y.ay portion projecting from the handle and forming a shield extending longitudinally of and partially about the brush head.

2. A brush comprising a handle having vcompanion sections slidable longitudinally of each other and having overlapped inner end portions and their outer end portions adapted vfor engagement With thefingers of an operator, one section having its innerend portionformed with an opening' and the other section having a slot communicating With the opening, a bearing carried by the first section, a shaft journaled in said bearing and extending across the opening Vand projecting from onel side of the section, a pinion carried by said shaft and projecting `through the opening and slot, a rack carried by the second section and having teeth extending across its slot and engaging said pinion to impart rotary motion to the pinion and shaft When the sections are slid longitudinally of each other, and a `brush head carried by said shaft. f

v 3. A brushl comprising a handle' having companion sections slidable longitudinally of each other and having overlapped inner end portions and their outer yend portions adapted for engagement with the'fingers of an op'erator,one section having its inner end portion formed With an .opening andthe other section-having a longitudinally extending slot communicating With' thev opening, bearings carried by theirst section at opposite sides ofthe opening, a shaft journale'd in said bearings and extending across the opening and projecting from one side of the section, a pinion carried by said shaft and projecting through the opening and slot, a rack extending longitudinally` of the second Vsection incovering relation toits slot and engaging said pinion to. impartA rotary motion to the pinion and shaft when thesections are slid longitudinally of each other, a brush head carried by the `outer end portion of said shaft7 and a semi-cylindrical barrel extending transversely upon the rst handlesection in covering relation to the bearings and pinionand having atransversely concaved extension projecting from the handle section and disposed longitudinally of and partially about the brush head..

and extended portion of said shaft.

4. A brush comprising a handle havingcompanion sections formed of flat strips having their inner end portions overlapped and their outer end portions formed withfinger-receiving openings, flanges carried by one handle section along its sides and provided with inwardly extending lips over-4 lapping the other handle section to slidably connect the sections, one handle section being formed with a longitudinally extend-v ing slot and the other with an opening com! municating with the slot, a plate covering said slot and having its inner face formed with rack teeth', bearings yat opposite sides of said opening, a shaft journaled in said bearings and projecting transversely from the handle and provided with a head having a socket leadin from its outer end, a pinion upon said sha t between said bearings and projecting through the opening and slot and meshing with said rack teeth, a brush head having a stem removably fitted into the socket of said shaft head7 and a semi-cylindrical barrel rigid upon the handle section formed with the opening and disposed transversely thereof in covering relation tothe bearings and pinion and having a transversely concaved extension extending longitudinally of and partially about the shaft head and brush head.

In testimony whereof I aiixvmy signature. i

f BERRY V. STOLL. [11. s] 

